The first loggerhead sea turtle nest of the year in Georgia was reported Wednesday on Cumberland Island.

Doug Hoffman, a wildlife biologist for the National Park Service, located a loggerhead nest along with two “false crawls,” as aborted attempts to nest are called.

Loggerhead nesting in April is rare in Georgia, said Mark Dodd, a biologist with the Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia sea turtle coordinator. Only one previous April nest has been recorded, Dodd said, and it was found on Ossabaw in 2001.

Loggerhead nests had already been reported this year in Florida as far north as St. Augustine. In Georgia, nesting is typically expected from May through July, with hatching continuing into October.

Last year was record setting for loggerheads with close to 2,000 nests identified on Peach State beaches. While that’s good news for the recovery of the threatened species the recent rise in nesting also means there are likely more turtles in Georgia waters so more can be hit by boats or caught in shrimp nets.

Thirteen turtles washed up dead on Georgia beaches last week, continuing a trend of a greater than usual number of such strandings this spring. The total is 50 so far this year compared to 19 by the same time last year.

Seven of those dead loggerheads last week had injuries consistent with being struck by a boat, Dodd said. The others likely drowned in shrimp nets as they showed no signs of injury or illness. Georgia’s shrimp season hasn’t opened yet, but shrimpers can work federal waters from 3-200 miles offshore.

But because the water isn’t fully warmed up yet, the cold-blooded turtles spend a lot of time basking at the surface, where it’s easier for them to get injured. Boaters need to be on the lookout, Dodd said.

“The main point is there are a lot of people who have the misconception sea turtles are just out in the ocean,” Dodd said. “They’re common in the estuaries, up creeks and between barrier islands.”

Karen is the turtle headed for freedom. She is a sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle that was caught in a net a couple of times by some fishermen at the north end of Jekyll Island in July. There were no injuries, but she was emaciated and anemic with a lot of barnacles and other growths on her skin and shell.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center treated Karen with antibiotics, gut motility drugs and supplemental iron. She was 66 pounds upon arrival and has beefed up to 90 pounds. She is eating live crabs and everything else offered.